Danger-signal for railways.



, Patentbd Sept. 24, mm. C. S. DEAN.

DANGER SIGNAL FOR BAILWAYS.

(Application fllgd Oct. 2, 1900.)

(No Modal.)

2 Shasta-Sheet l.

. QQ-W No. 683,422. Patented Sept. 24, ml.

c. s, DEAN.

DANGER SIGNAL FUR BAILWAYS.

(Application fllod Oct. 2', 1900.1

("0 Model.)

2 Sheets-Shoat 2.

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Witnesses. I nventor.

WW Attorney.

4 h n. @Q? WM @fd m Nrrnn CYRUS s. DEAN, oFronT ERIE, oANAnA.

'DANGER -SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYs.

S EC O forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 683,422, dated September 24,1901. Application filed October 2, 1900. Serial No. 31,803. (No tow.)

T0 at wJtont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CYRUS S. DEAN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Fort Erie, county of Welland, Province of Ontario,Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDanger-Signals for Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved danger-signal which is automaticallyoperated by the depression of rails on the passage of trains; and theobject of the invention is to arrange a pneumatic device so that thedepressing of the rails on the passage of trains will automaticallycompress air in said pneu matic device and through a system of pipingactuate a danger-signal placed at a crossing or other locality requiringa signal.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription.

The invention is susceptible to various changes in the form, proportion,and minor details of construction without departing from the principleor sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosureof the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a fragment ofa railway equipped with my improved signaling appliance. Fig. 2 is anenlargedfragment of the two-part metal support, showing the clamps fortying it to the rail. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line a a, Fig.2. Fig. 4: is a transverse section through the support on line b b, Fig.9, the rail and lever being omitted. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached Viewof one of the parts of the transverse beam. Fig. 6 is an enlargedfragment, partly in section, to illustrate in detail the connection ofthe lever, metal support, and wooden beam. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary topplan view of the metal support and the lever. Fig. 8 is a top plan viewof a fragment of a railway having the improved signal. Fig. 9 is asection on line 0 c, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragment of thesignal-supporting post and the rods connecting the signal to thepneumatic operating device. Fig. 11 is an-enlarged fragmentary sectionon line 0 c, Fig. 8.

Fig. 12 is a fragment; partially in section,

showing a modified form of piston connection. In referring to thedrawings in detail like numerals designate like parts.

l designates the rail of an ordinary railway, and 2 the ties upon whichthe rails are supported.

In the preferred adaptation of my invention as illustrated in thedrawings a beam 3 is rigidly embedded in the ground beneath theties,which forms a foundation-support for an operating-lever. A supportcomposed of two parallel metal plates 4, formed substantially as shownin Fig. 5 and slightly sepa rated from each other, is arranged betweentwo of the ties and extends transversely between the rails, beingclamped to the rails at its ends. The clamps employed for this purposeare preferably formed in two sections 5 and 6, as shown in Figs. 2, 3,4, and 9, and have recesses 7, in which the side flanges of the railfit. One clamp made as above described is fitted between the plates 4 atone end, being sufficiently thick to fill the space between the platesand being fastened to said plates by the bolts 8,and two clamps arefitted upon the outside of the opposite end of the plates and fastenedin place by similar bolts 8. A lever is supported between the metalplate 4 and consists of two parallel parts 9, which are maintained inseparated arrangement by the blocks 10, fitted between, each blockhaving reduced side portions 11, circular in cross-section,which fitinto openings in the parts 9. Upper and lower metal brackets 12 and 13are placed at about the middle of the plates 4, and a vertical screw-bar14 is passed through these brackets and one of the blocks 10 in thelever. (See Fig. 6.) The brackets 12 and 13 are fastened rigidly inplace by the side bolts 15, (see Fig. 7,) which pass through the ends ofthe brackets and on the exterior of the plates 4.. A box formed in upperand lower sections 16 and 17 is rigidly fastened to the beam 3 by bolts18, and each section has a recess forming part of a socket 19, in whicha ball 20 is fitted, and the upper section has a slot or opening 21,extending from the recess through the section. A second screw-bar 22passes vertically down through the block 10, arranged between theextreme end of the parts of the lever and into the ball journaled in thebox mounted on the beam. (See Fig. 6.) A vertical rack-bar 23 is pivotedat its lower end to the forward end of the lever by a pintle 24 and issupported in vertical position by a roller 25. A horizontal shaft 26 isjournaled in a support 27 and has a gear-wheel 28, which meshes with theteeth in the rack-bar 23. An air-compressor is mounted on the beam 3 atone side of the track and consists of a cylinder 29, having a closedlower end, and a base 30, bolted to said beam by the bolts 31, and apiston 32, sliding in said cylinder. A disk 33 is mounted on thehorizontal shaft 26, and a crank-arm 34, pivoted to the disk by acrankpin 35, has its lower end pivoted to cars or lugs 36, projectingfrom the piston by the pin 37. A vertical post 38 is mounted on one sideof the track at the desired point, and a shaft 39 is horizontallyjournaled in the upper portion of the post. A danger-signal 40 ismounted on this shaft, and a lever 41, mounted on the shaft, has itslong end 42 arranged opposite the signal or approximately opposite thesignal, so as to partially counterbalance the signal, and thus permit itto be operated more easily. An air-bell 43 is arranged upon a hollowsupport 44 so that it can telescope thereon, and a pipe 45,communicating with the air-compressor, extends through the hollowsupport to permit the compressed air to pass beneath the air-bell 43 andforce the same upward. A valve device is arranged in the hollow support44 and is automatically operated by the passage of the train to permitthe air to escape and the bell to telescope upon the support. This valvepreferably consists of a vertical rod 46, having a valve part 47 at itsupper end, which fits in an opening in the top of the hollow support 44,and a lever-arm 48, having an angular crank or offset 49 at its lowerend, which engages with the lower end of the rod 46. The leverarm 48 ispivoted on a pin 50 and is arranged in a vertical position, beingnormally held in said position by a spring 51. The air-bell 43 isoperatively connected to the shaft from which the danger-signal is hungby an extensible connecting-rod. The connectingrod is preferably formedin two parts 52 and 53, the upper part 52 being pivoted to the shortextension 54 of the lever 41, and the lower end of the lower part 53 isrigidly fitted 55 in the socket in an enlargement 55 on the top of theair-bell 43. The lower end of the upper part 52 has an enlargement 56,provided with an eye 57, and a collar 58, fitted on the lower part so asto slide thereon, has an extension 59 fitting in the eye 57. A series ofholes 60 are arranged longitudinally in the lower part 53, and thecollar 58 has a hole or opening 61, adapted to register with any one ofthe holes A pin 62 is passed through the hole in the collar and theregistering hole in the part 53 to lock the two 6 parts in theiradjusted position. To support the connecting-rod in approximately horizontal position, a horizontal bracket 63 is ex tended laterally from thepost 38, and the lower part 53 of the connecting-rod is made long enoughto extend up through and slide in a vertical opening in said bracket.The upper part or member 52 of the connectingrod turns slightly on theextension 59 of the collar 58 as the lever 41 turns, owing to the curvedpath of movement of said lever.

In the modification shown in Fig. 12 the piston-rod 64 is pivoted to thepiston of the aircompressor, and the end of the operating-1ever ispivoted to a sleeve 65, mounted on the upper end of the piston-rod 64.This sleeve is supported upon a coiled spring 66, which is mounted upona collar 67, rigidly fastened to the rod. The upward movement of thesleeve islimited bya collar 68, rigidly secured to the top end of therod.

The purpose of the spring is to prevent the operating-lever from forcingthe piston through the lower end of the compressor-cylinder when theforward end of said lever is moved a greater distance downward thanusual, the sleeve moving downward on the piston-rod against the tensionof the spring when the piston is at its lowest position to allow for theadditional downward movement of the operating-lever.

The operation of my improved signaling device is as follows: When thelocomotive reaches the rail directly above the operatinglever, the railsand the connecting-beam are pressed downward. This carries theoperating-lever downward and through the connecting mechanism compressesthe air in the aircompressor. The compressed air passes through the pipeand raises the air-bell,which in turn partially rotates the shaft andelevates the danger signal into the position shown in Fig. 1. Whenthelocomotive reaches the post, it presses the lever operating therelease-valve downward, opening said valve and permitting the air-belland danger-signal to resume their former inoperative position. As the.point at which the lever is supported from the two-part metallic supportis very near the point at which it is supported from the beam, a slightmovement of the rails is sufficient to give quite a movement to the endof the operating-lever. The leveris regulated and adjusted relatively tothe beam 3 and the two-part metal support hung from the rails by turningthe vertical screw-bars 14 and 22, the screw-bars being provided attheir upper ends with hexagonal or similarlyformed portions to receive awrench or other tool. (See Fig. 6.)

I claim as my invention 1. In a railwaysignaling device, rails, asignal, mechanism for operating said signal, a rigid beam, a supportsecured to the rails, a lever formed in two parts pivoted to the supportand fulcrumed to the beam; said lever having operative connection withthe mechanism for operating the signal.

the transverse support, and mechanism operatively connecting theair-compressor to the signal.

3. In a railway signaling device, rails, a signal,an air-compressor,anoperating-leverhaving one end connected to the air-compressor and theopposite end fulcrumed on a fixed point, a two-part support secured tothe rails and between the parts of which the lever is pivoted,anair-bell,a pipe between the air-bell and the air-compressor, and aconnectingrod between the signal and the air-bell, as set forth.

4. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a two-part transversesupport secured to the rails and moving with the rails, a beam rigidlymounted beneath the rails, a lever pivoted between the parts of thesupport, and having its end supported from the beam and signal-operatingmechanism connected to the opposite end of said lever.

5. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a support formed of twoplates in parallel separated arrangement and secured to the rails, abeam beneath the rails, a lever pivoted between said plates, a boxmounted on said beam, a ball in said box, and a screw-bar passed throughthe lever 'and the ball, substantially as set forth.

6. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a support formed of twoplates in parallel separated arrangement and secured to the rails, abeam beneath the rails, a lever pivoted between said plates, upper andlower brackets mounted on the plates, a screw-bar passed through saidupper and lower brackets and the lever, a beam beneath the rails, a boxmounted on said beam, a ball in said box and a second screw-bar passedthrough the lever and the ball, substantially as set forth.

7. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse support betweenthe rails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever adjustably pivoted to saidsupport and having an adjustable support on the beam and mechanismoperatively connected to the signal and lever.

8. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse support betweenthe rails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever supported from the beam, ablock pivoted to the lever, a screwbar secured to the support and passedthrough the block and mechanism operati-vely connected to the signal andlever.

9. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse support betweenthe rails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever, two screw-bars; onepivoting the lever to the support and the other supporting the leverfrom the beam, and operating mechanism connected to the lever andsignal. I

10. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse supportsecured to the rails, a

lever pivoted to said support, a rack-bar pivoted to said lever, ashaft, a gear-wheel on said shaft meshing with the rack-bar, anaircompressor, a piston in said compressor, a crank-rod on the shaftpivoted to said piston, and operating connections between theaircompressor and the signal.

11. In a signaling device, the combination with the rails, of a support,clamps secured to said support, and having recesses in which the railsseat, a lever operated by the movement of said support, and a signaloperated by the movement of said lever.

12. A railway signaling device, comprising a signal, a lever operated bythe depressing of the rails on the passage of trains, a verticalrack-bar connected to said lever, a horizontal shaft, a gear-wheel onsaid shaft meshing with the rack-bar, a disk on said shaft, a cylinderforming an air-compressor, a piston in said cylinder, a crank-rodpivoted to the piston and disk and forming a piston-rod, and mechanismcontrolling the signal operatively connected to the air-compressor.

13. A railway signaling device, comprising a signal, a lever operated bythe depressing of the rails on the passage of trains, a verticalrack-bar connected to said lever, a horizontal shaft, a gear-wheel onsaid shaft meshing with the rack-bar, a roller behind said rack-bar, adisk on said shaft, a cylinder forming an air-compressor, a piston insaid cylinder, a crank-rod pivoted to the piston and disk and forming apiston-rod, and mechanism controlling the signal operatively connectedto the air-compressor.

14:. In a railway signaling device, a post, a shaft journaled in theupper portion of said post, a signal mounted on said shaft, a barmounted on said shaft and having its longer end extending approximatelyopposite the signal and partially counterbalaucing the said signal,operating mechanism, and a connecting-rod connecting the operatingmechanism to the shorter end of said bar.

15. In a signaling device, the combination with the rails, of atransverse support, clamps secured to said support and having recessesin which the side flanges of the rails fit, a lever pivoted to thesupport and having one end fulcrumed beneath the rails and a signaloperated by the movement of said lever.

16. In a signaling device, the combination with the rails, of atransverse support formed of two parallel plates, clamps secured to saidsupport, and having recesses in which the side flanges of the rails fit,a lever pivoted between the plates of said support, and having one endfulcrumed beneath the rails anda signal operated by the movement of saidlever.

17. In a signaling device, the combination with the rails, of atransverse support secured to said rails and composed of two separatedparallel plates having transverse openings, a lever composed of twoseparated parallel plates having openings, blocks between said plates,and one of said blocks having side extensions fitting through theopenings in the plates of the lever and the plates of the support, and asignal controlled from said lever.

18. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse supportsecured to the rails and moving with said rails, a beam rigidly mountedbeneath the rails, a lever pivoted to the support and fulcrumed on thebeam and mechanism connecting the lever to the signal.

19. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse supportsecured to the rails and moving with the rails, a beam rigidly mountedbeneath the rails, a lever pivoted to the transverse support and havingits end supported from the beam and signal-operating mechanism connectedto the opposite end of said lever.

20. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a support'secured to therails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever pivoted to the support, a boxmounted on said beam, a ball in said box, and a screw-bar passed throughthe lever and the ball, substantially as set forth.

21. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a support secured to therails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever pivoted to the support, upperand lower brackets mounted on the support, a screw-bar passed throughsaid upper and lower brackets and the lever, a beam beneath the rails, abox mounted on said beam,

a ball in said box and a second screw-bar passed through the lever andthe ball, substantially as set forth.

22. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse supportbeneath the rails, a beam beneath the rails, a lever supported from thebeam, a block secured to the support and pivoted to the lever, andmechanism operatively connecting the signal and lever.

23. In a railway signaling device, rails, a signal, a support, anunmovable beam, a lever, two screw-bars; one pivoting the lever to thesupport and the other supporting the lever from the beam, and operatingmechanism connected to the lever and signal.

24. In a railway signaling device, a signal, a transverse supportsecured to the rails, a lever pivoted to said support, anair-compressor, a piston in said compressor, a crankrod on the shaftpivoted to said piston, and operating connections between the air-com}pressor and the signal and the crank-rod and the lever. p p

25. A railway signaling device, comprising a signal, a lever operated bythe depressing of the rails on the passage of trains, a verticalrack-bar connected to said lever, a horizontal shaft, a gear-wheel onsaid shaft meshing with the rack-bar, a disk on said shaft, a cylinderforming an aincompressor, a piston in said cylinder, a crank-rod pivotedto the piston and disk and forming a piston-rod, an air-bell, a pipebetween the air-bell and aircompressor, and a rod connecting the signaland air-bell.

26. A railway signaling device, comprising a signal, a lever operated bythe depressing of the rails on the passage of trains, a verticalrack-bar connected to said lever, a horizontal shaft, a gear-wheel onsaid shaft meshing with the rack-bar, a disk on said shaft, a cylinderforming an air-compressor, a piston in said cylinder, a crank-rodpivoted to the piston and disk and forminga piston-rod, an air-bell, apipe between the air-bell and aircompressor, and a rod connecting thesignal and air-bell; said rod consisting of two pivotally-jointedsections.

27. In a signaling device, the combination with the rails, of atransverse support, socured to said rails and formed in two parts, alever pivoted between the parts of said support and operated by themovement of said support, and a signal operated by the movement of saidlever.

CYRUS S. DEAN.

Witnesses:

G. A. NEUBAUER, A. J. SANGSTER.

